Deference to oil and gas in Ohio

This roundup of energy news headlines comes from our Midwest Energy News newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning.

OIL & GAS

• Plans to build two fracking-waste wells in rural southeastern Ohio are poised to move forward despite opposition from local residents, environmental groups, and nearby town governments. (Canary Media)

RENEWABLES

• A new research paper shows Ohio has had more renewable energy projects rejected by state regulators and projects withdrawn than 19 other states, largely because of a 2021 law that gave more weight to local opposition. (Inside Climate News)

SOLAR

• Opponents are spreading unproven public health concerns about solar and spurring a backlash to new installations in Michigan, which is among the top states expected to add solar capacity this year. (ProPublica)

PIPELINES

• The U.S. Supreme Court sides with the state of Michigan in allowing a case challenging Line 5’s operation in the Great Lakes to be decided in state court, though it’s unclear how the ruling will affect other pending lawsuits. (Associated Press)

• Opponents continue to push back on Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 reroute in Wisconsin, where state regulators are considering permit requests for erosion control around waterways. (Wisconsin Examiner)

DATA CENTERS

• DTE Energy says its latest $474 million rate increase request with state regulators would be its last until 2028 if contracts with a hyperscale data center are approved. (MLive)

• Plans for a Google data center are again dividing an eastern Iowa community where residents previously fought plans for a large solar project near the site of a retired nuclear plant. (Iowa Public Radio)

• Wisconsin utility regulators will vote today on We Energies’ special rates for data centers, which will decide how costs are determined for large projects in the works. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

GRID

• U.S. utilities’ plans to collectively spend $1.4 trillion on grid infrastructure upgrades by 2030 will be passed on to consumers’ bills, including in Ohio, where major utilities often plan large capital expenditures. (Ohio Capital Journal)

CLIMATE

• A South Dakota nonprofit urges a shift off fossil fuels and to wind energy and battery storage as rising average annual temperatures lead to more extreme and costly weather events that are harming the state’s agriculture economy. (South Dakota Searchlight)

WIND

• South Dakota regulators will allow construction to begin on a $621 million wind project to ensure developer Invenergy can secure federal tax credits, even though the project still faces delays in securing components. (KELO)

UTILITIES

• Michigan utilities disconnected customers at a higher rate in 2024 than neighboring Midwest states, a practice consumer advocates call inhumane as energy prices continue to rise. (MLive)

• Democratic and Republican candidates in Michigan focus on energy affordability as the campaign season ramps up in a move to win over frustrated voters. (E&E News)

• The Ohio Supreme Court rules that a submetering company is subject to regulation by the state’s Public Utilities Commission, after the board argued it didn’t have the ability to do so. (WCMH)

BIOFUELS

• Lawmakers float a plan to lift seasonal restrictions on sales of higher blends of ethanol in the latest Farm Bill that would still give small petroleum refiners an off-ramp for blending requirements. (E&E News)

NEW FROM CANARY

• Duke Energy’s proactive grid upgrades under fire from electric co-ops — Elizabeth Ouzts

• Which countries lead the way on nuclear energy? — Dan McCarthy

• San Francisco helps home child care centers wean off gas — Alison F. Takemura

• Maryland bill trades cost-saving energy efficiency for short-term relief — Aman Azar